Overlay Panel System for an Overhead Garage Door and Method of Installation

Abstract

A method for constructing a horizontal section of an overhead garage door begins by providing a previously manufactured metal door section. A sheet of moldable material is shaped by heating and vacuum forming in order to produce a decorative overlay panel. The overlay panel has a front exposed surface which forms a front face for the door section of the garage door when overlaid on the door section. The overlay panel is mounted on the horizontal door section to provide a decorative appearance to the door section. A number of the door sections so overlaid are assembled to produce the resulting hinged overhead garage door.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]A. Field of the Invention:[0002]This present invention relates to an overhead garage door that presents a decorative facade with an appearance which simulates authentic wood grain or other esthetic designs which are complimentary to the style of the associated residential or commercial structure containing the door.[0003]B. Description of the Prior Art[0004]Historically, garage door designs were likely taken from barn doors. Thus, garage doors originally had either two door members which were hinged at the sides of the garage entry opening, or a single door member which could be spring or counterbalance lifted into the ceiling of the garage. As these designs were impractical for many applications, a sectional garage door was the next major innovation in the development of the garage doors.[0005]Modern sectional garage door systems are typically comprised of doors having horizontally arrayed sections joined by hinges into a door unit. The door is moun...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]The mounting step for mounting the decorative overlay panel to the metal door section can also include the step of gluing the rear face of the decorative overlay panel to the front face of the garage door section. If desired, the method can also include the additional step of applying a high performance coating to the decorative overlay panel which is effective to increase U.V. resistance of the exposed face of the overlay panel.

Problems solved by technology

Both designs of wood sectional doors include disadvantages which are inherent to the properties associated with wood.

For example, wood has the tendency to split, crack, splinter, rot and warp, because it is sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, water absorption and sunlight.

Wood panel sections are also typically heavier than many other types of panel sections, creating more stress on the connecting hardware, making it more difficult to manually raise and lower the garage door, and costing more money to raise and lower the garage door by an electrical opener.

Additionally, wood panel sections frequently require continuous painting or staining to maintain their desired appearance.

While offering additional esthetic details such as a wood grain appearance, the appearance of transparent glass, etc., these systems continue to have some undesirable attributes.

They tend to be heavy, increasing the overall weight of the door, and more expensive in many cases than the esthetic improvement warrants.

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